God’s Comfort

Are there times when you long for comfort? Is it during times of trial or sorrow or struggle? Where do you seek your comfort? Is there a specific person you go to? Is there a group of people? What if you had a person who could always comfort you?

We all experience times when we need comfort. We can be hit out of the blue by a sledgehammer situation. We can be stunned, shocked, and rattled by an unforeseen event. When we are knocked off our feet, we desire someone who can provide us comfort.

When things go awry, we often turn to a specific person or group of people to commiserate with and receive the comfort we desire. Often those people are family. They also be close friends. For those of us who are members of the church, we may reach out to a pastor or other members. Having someone to bring us the comfort we need is important.

We can always turn to God who will comfort us. Yet, we may think, he isn’t here with me. I need arms to wrap around me. I need someone I can talk to who will provide comforting words. That may all be true, but that’s where God steps in, if we reach out to him. He provides comforting words through his Word and promises. He sends people to wrap their arms around us. He will always listen to our pleas. We simply need to reach out to him.

I pray we all reach out to God during our times of struggle. I pray we seek comfort from God. I pray each one of us will ask God to remind us of his Word and promises and send people to bring us comfort. Reach out to God for comfort. Seek the promises in God’s Word. Trust God will send people to comfort you in your time of need.

Isaiah 40:1

Comfort, O comfort my people, 

says your God.

The Messenger

Have you been a messenger for someone? Was it taking a message from one person to give it to another? Have you been sent ahead of someone else to prepare for their arrival? Were you to take care of the logistics, ensuring all the amenities were taken care of?

Being a messenger can be relatively simple or it can be a daunting task. Taking a message from mom to dad can be simple. Being the lead person for someone on a campaign trail can be exhausting and overwhelming. Many of us relay messages from one to another regularly.

When you are sent ahead to, not only take a message, but to prepare for the arrival of someone else, it can be a very large task. I can remember being on the advanced party for a deployment while I was in the Marine Corps. We went ahead of the larger unit a few weeks before they were to arrive. We had to set up tents, fill sandbags, set up generators and run power lines, set up a computer and radio network, and many other tasks. We generally worked twelve hours a day to get all the work done.

John was sent ahead of Jesus. His task was to prepare people’s hearts. Can you imagine? He was to get people to start thinking about the coming Messiah. He had to prepare them for a significant change in how they thought of salvation. Their sacrificial system was no longer going to be required. They needed to accept the Holy Spirit coming to everyone who accepted Jesus as their Savior. God was going to live among them, but not in a temple.

We should listen to John’s message and take to heart what he has to say. John recognized the magnitude of Jesus and His ministry. He knew from the time he was still in the womb that Jesus was the Son of God. We would do well to see Jesus as John saw Him, someone we are not worthy of. Yet, also see Jesus as He calls us, His friend, brother/sister, and child of God.

I pray we see Jesus as someone far greater that we are. I pray we listen to John’s description of Him. I pray each one of us know that God lives among us and in us in his Holy Spirit. Listen to John’s message. See Jesus for who He is. Know that God lives in you. Know that God is all around you.

Mark 1:7-8 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

God’s Patience

Yesterday, we covered the fact that God exists outside of time. God works in each moment while also seeing all of history at once. This is a compelling reason to trust God and his promises. But what about those times when it feels as though God is not working at all?

We experience many different kinds of days. Some are a struggle. Others are a joy. In those days of struggle, we may feel as though God is not working in our lives. Or we may ask for God to do something and it seems as though he is being extremely slow about doing it.

We have likely heard the saying that God works in his time, not ours. As true as that is, when we are struggling through a situation, it does not bring us comfort. However, if we know it beforehand and truly believe it, it can help us be patient and continue to trust God is at work. Everything God does or doesn’t do is for a reason. He knows the outcome and his desired outcome.

We might wonder why God works slowly at times and fast at others. Today’s passage states the reason clearly. God wants every one of us to repent and come to him. God’s desire is to save every person in this world. That includes people we may not care for as well as people we care very deeply for. God sees every person as his child. He wants every one of his children to be saved.

So, when we think God is moving slowly, there is a reason. He is moving in his time to achieve the desired outcome, to bring people to him. Sometimes, we must struggle to learn a lesson. Other times, a quick answer is needed to show us that God cares and to lift us out of a dangerous situation. We need to understand deep in our heart and soul that God is working to save us and every other person in this world.

I pray we all understand God is at work in our lives. I pray we trust that God will answer our request in his time. I pray each one of us will repent and come into his salvation. Know God is at work. Know he has a plan. Trust him to answer. Repent of your sins. Work to bring others to faith in Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

A Thousand Years

Do you have days that seem to last forever? Do you have days that seem to fly by? Are there weeks that drag on or are gone too quick? Are there special events you look forward to that feel as though they will never occur? What if I told you, it is the same with God?

We all experience days that seem go on and on and on. It may be a day at work. Perhaps we don’t have enough to do, and we are bored. Maybe there is a long-running task that takes multiple days to finish. Those days cause us to glance at the clock every few minutes.

On the other hand, days can fly by. We are busy all day long. We may be working on several to-do’s or perhaps just one. Our focus is intense and before we know it, a couple of hours have passed. We can’t believe the day is already over. We may even feel as though we didn’t get enough done during the day.

Though God executes his plan as he desires, days can be long and almost non-existent. God can work every minute detail in a day and yet work out his plan over centuries. It can be a challenge for us to think in terms of centuries. It can be difficult to wrap our minds around the fact that God exists outside of time. For him, time is not linear but occurs all at once.

I like how C. S. Lewis describes it in his book Mere Christianity. He tells us to lay a piece of paper on a table. Draw a straight line on the paper. Then put a dot on the line. The paper is God. The line is time. The dot is our lifespan. We all live inside of God and in time. God sees all of time at once, yet he is right there beside us in our moment of need.

We don’t have to understand everything about God. What we should understand is God is always at work. God sees all of history at the same time, yet he is involved in the minute details of our lives. This is just another reason for us to trust that God has our best interest at heart. It is another reason to trust God’s promises.

I pray we all know that God sees all of history. I pray we trust in his promises. I pray each one of us understand God is at work in our lives in the same way he is at work in all of history. Know that you live in God. Trust in God’s promises. Trust God cares for you. Believe God is at work for you.

2 Peter 3:8 But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day.

Love and Faithfulness

Are you looking for a love that will last forever? Do you know it is available? Do you want to know where you can find it? Are you longing for a peace that is joined with a goodness above all goodness? Would you believe it if you were told it would all come to be?

We all long for love. We desire to be loved to love someone else. We want the one we love to be faithful to us. We want peace. A peace that will last. Not just a lack of violence but an inner peace, a contentment. We want that peace to come with goodness, a wholesome goodness.

Many of us search for the love, faithfulness, peace, and goodness for our entire lives without ever finding it. The most unfortunate reality is, it is there for us to have and experience. We simply look in the wrong places for it. They won’t be found in dark places. They are only found in the light, the light of the world.

God has promised that love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace will all come together. He will bring them together in his kingdom. Many believe God’s kingdom will come at some point in the future. However, his kingdom can be experienced in the here and now. When we live in him and for him, we live in his kingdom. True, his future kingdom will not exist in the midst of a broken world. Yet, that does not mean we cannot experience his kingdom today.

Through God’s promises, we find love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace. Even if we do not find someone on this earth to experience these with, we can experience them in God. He is all of those all the time. We can have them, today, tomorrow, and every day for the rest of our lives.

I pray we all experience the love, faithfulness, righteousness, and peace of God. I pray we seek to live in God’s kingdom today. I pray each one of us strive to live every day in God’s peace. God is love. God is faithful. God is righteous. God is peace. Live in God’s kingdom. Experience God every day.

Psalm 85:10

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; 

righteousness and peace will kiss each other.

God Speaks Peace

Are you looking for peace in your life? Do you need to hear someone speak peace into your heart? Who are you listening to? Are you willing to listen to the master of peace? When you hear peace spoken to you, will you apply it to your life?

We all need peace in our lives, even if we think we can handle the chaos. We may be able to handle the chaos for a while, but we eventually need peace. In fact, we need peace in the midst of chaos. It is by having peace in our lives that we can handle the chaos.

We may know of someone who always seems to be at peace. Maybe that person brings peace to us in the midst of our chaotic lives. We may think that person has some superpower that gives them peace. We may not be far off. Someone who is truly at peace and projects that peace likely is tapping into a higher power.

We can ask God to speak his peace to us. We can hear him speak that peace. We hear it in our hearts. When we put our faith in him and turn our hearts to him, he speaks the peace we need. When we listen and take his peace into our hearts, we tap into his power. It is having the peace of God in our hearts that allows us to live a life of peace. It is his peace in our hearts that pulls us through the chaos we face.

I pray we seek to know the peace of God. I pray we ask God to speak his peace to us. I pray each one of us will listen for God to speak his peace to us and take it into our hearts. Seek God’s peace. Ask God to speak his peace. Take God’s peace into your heart. Use his peace to get you through the chaos.

Psalm 85:8

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, 

for he will speak peace to his people, 

to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.

The Potter

How do you think of your parents? What images come to mind? Were your parents stern disciplinarians? Were they kind and loving? Are your parents the reason for who you are today? Did they see your potential and mold you into the person you could be?

We all have different experiences with our parents. Unfortunately, some parents are abusive. However, many parents do the best they can. It is especially trying for parents with their first child. After all, they have no experience raising children.

What do you believe a parents’ job is? We might all agree a parent is to show love for their children. We might also agree they are to provide for them as they grow and mature. One thing parents often forget is they are to prepare their children to be out in the world.

Preparing children to go into the world is a daunting task. Parents must see their childs’ potential and help them reach it. They need to evaluate their skills and guide them down a path to success. A parent must mold their child using encouragement and occasionally a little pushing.

God does all of this with us. He knows our potential. He molds us into the person he knows we can be. He guides us down the path he desires for us so that we may succeed in serving him well. We need to acknowledge God as the Potter and we are the clay. We need to allow him to mold us.

I pray we all heed God’s guidance. I pray we seek to be molded by God. I pray each one of us pursues the path that God is guiding us down so that we may serve him well. See God as the Potter. Be the clay. Allow God to mold you. Become the person God wants you to be.

Isaiah 64:8

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father; 

we are the clay, and you are our potter; 

we are all the work of your hand.

Pass It On

What has been passed down to you from you family? Are there traditions you follow? Have you been told of your family history? Is there a family member who was famous for a major achievement years ago? Has your family passed down to you the importance of worshiping God?

Some families have many traditions while others have few. Some traditions last from one generation to another while others cease when a key family member dies. A family may have a key matriarch or patriarch whom everyone looks up to and who holds the family together.

We often retell the stories of family members who did something remarkable. Some of those stories are amazing accomplishments. Some of them are wildly funny and possibly embarrassing stories. The retelling of those stories can be cherished memories that we love to hear over and over. They help us hold on to the family history. They may even turn into folklore as generations pass.

There are more important stories we should pass along to our families. Those are the stories of God. It is by telling the amazing stories of God that we build into our family the fabric of God. It is through those stories that God’s presence is woven into our family history. That is how God has been made important throughout history. It is how God has worked throughout history.

To know there has only been one God who has created all things, worked in this world, worked through people, cared for all people, and sent his Son to save all people is of utmost importance. We need to remember and retell the stories of God to our children and grandchildren. We need to pass on generation to generation the importance of God working in our families. It is through these family stories that God is woven into our family history and ingrained into our children’s and grandchildren’s minds.

I pray we all know there is only one God who works in this world. I pray we hear the stories of God in our families. I pray we retell the stories of God and how he has worked in our families. Know there is one God. Know that God cares for all of us. Pass along God’s stories. Pass along how God has worked in your family.

Isaiah 64:4

From ages past no one has heard, 

no ear has perceived, 

no eye has seen any God besides you, 

who works for those who wait for him.

Constancy vs Permanency

What does permanent meant to you? Does it mean something that will last for five or ten or twenty years? Do you believe permanent means it will never go away, that it will always be? Are you looking for something that will be permanent in your life?

We look for constancy, but often think of it as permanency. Something being constant, meaning it is the same day after day is not quite the same as permanent. You see, something can be constant for a period of time, but it can become inconsistent at some point in the future.

I can remember when I was a kid and my mom going to the hairdresser to get a permanent. Yet, it was permanent. She would have to go back again a few weeks later and get another one. The truth of the matter is there is nothing permanent in this world. It will all pass away at some point. We may not know when it will fall, crumble, or be destroyed. We simply know it will not last forever.

Jesus tells us in today’s passage this earth and the heavens will pass away. There will come a day when they are all destroyed. That day will be the final day of history. It will be the final judgement. It will be the day when He returns to destroy evil forever and institute His eternal kingdom. It is a day we, as followers of Christ, look forward to.

He also states that His words will not pass away. That means even into eternity His words will remain. Many in this world do not want to listen to Him. It is unfortunate for them. For when that final day comes, it will be too late for them to change their mind. For those of us who accept His words, they lead us into an eternal life with Him.

There have been several people who have attempted to prove Jesus is not real. Some of them have become authors, writing of their research and how they became believers as they discovered the truth. We can read their stories, but it is more important that we read Jesus’ words. We need to know what He states about living a life that pleases Him. We need to hear His advice for living an abundant life.

I pray we all realize there is nothing permanent on this earth. I pray we understand that Jesus’ words are permanent. I pray each one of us will spend time reading Jesus’ words and applying them in our lives. No thing is permanent. Jesus’ words are forever. Read His words. Apply them in your life.

Mark 13:31 “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.”

Fellowship of Jesus

Do you have a few good friends with whom you are very close to? Have you been on a team that was very tight knit? Do you still have that relationship, or has it slipped into the past? Would you like to experience that closeness again? Do you know you can?

As we walk the pathways of life, we experience a range of friendships. We may have just one or two we are close with during one period and a larger group at another. The larger group of friends typically comes through an activity, whether a sports team or band or club.

Having close friends we can count on is critical, especially if we have moved away from our family. Some of my most trustworthy friends came during my time in the Marine Corps. But every few years those friendships changed. One of our group would receive orders to move on to a different unit. The key factor of those friendships was shared experience. It is common to create a tight bond with someone you go through trials with.

We are called into the best fellowship we could be in, the fellowship of Jesus Christ. Just like our human relationships, we discover we can count on Him when we go through trials. But it doesn’t start there. It starts by making a commitment to Him. It grows through our daily walk with Him. Our bonds strengthen through communication, what we call prayer.

As we walk with Him, we find that He is faithful. We also discover there are others in fellowship with Him whom we come into fellowship with. Those other travelers are our brothers and sisters. We learn to count on them as we share our experiences, and they share theirs. The more we share, the more we learn of God’s faithfulness in our lives.

I pray we all choose to be in fellowship with Jesus. I pray we know that God is faithful. I pray each one of us will share our experiences with others and grow our relationship with Jesus. Be in fellowship with Jesus. Be in fellowship with brothers and sisters. Know that God is faithful. 

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.